Apple Raises Mac and iPad Prices as Memory Costs Surge

Apple today raised prices across much of its products including the Mac and iPad lineup, saying it could no longer absorb the soaring cost of memory and storage chips driven by demand from the AI industry.

The increases went live on Apple's online store, which briefly went down Thursday morning before reappearing with the new pricing. The changes apply globally. iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods pricing was left unchanged.

In a statement, Apple said the consumer electronics industry is facing an unprecedented situation. "We have never seen a component price increase this much, this quickly," the company said.

"We have shielded our customers from these increases so far, but we have now reached a point where we need to begin raising prices on a number of products, including today's increases for iPad and Mac."

Mac pricing

The MacBook Neo, Apple's lowest priced laptop, now starts at $699, up from $599. The increase comes just months after the Neo launched in March as Apple's bid to win buyers away from budget Windows and Chromebook machines.

The 13 inch MacBook Air now starts at $1,299, up from $1,199, and the 15 inch model starts at $1,499, up from $1,299. The M5 14 inch MacBook Pro starts at $1,999, up from $1,699.

Apple had already trimmed its cheapest Mac options before Thursday. In May, the company stopped selling the $599, 256GB Mac mini, leaving the lineup to start at $799.

iPad pricing

The iPad Air with 128GB of storage now costs $749, up from $599. The 11 inch iPad Pro now starts at $1,199, up from $999.

Apple raised prices on additional Mac and iPad configurations as well, with the changes weighted toward models carrying more memory and storage.

Why prices are going up

The increases trace back to a sharp spike in the cost of DRAM, the type of memory used in nearly all modern devices. Prices rose as much as 98 percent in the first quarter of 2026 and are expected to climb another 58 to 63 percent in the current quarter, according to industry tracker TrendForce. Some in the industry have taken to calling the spike "RAMageddon."

The surge has been driven by the rapid buildout of AI data centers. Memory makers such as Micron have prioritized orders from AI chipmakers like Nvidia, leaving less supply for companies that build phones and computers. Micron said on Wednesday it had locked in $22 billion in long term commitments from customers looking to secure memory.

The pressure is expected to weigh on the broader market this year. Research firm IDC has estimated the smartphone market could see its largest annual decline ever at nearly 14 percent, while the PC market is expected to fall 11.3 percent.

What Apple said before today

CEO Tim Cook had signaled the move was coming. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal last week, Cook said price increases had become "unavoidable" because of higher component costs. "There's less supply at a time when consumers want devices, and the memory guys are passing along huge price increases," he said.

Cook described the situation in stark terms, calling it "a hundred-year flood" and adding that he had "never seen anything like it in any area in over 40 years."

On Apple's late April earnings call, Cook had told analysts the company expected "significantly higher memory costs" and warned that the impact would grow over time. "Beyond the June quarter, we believe memory costs will drive an increasing impact on our business," Cook said.

What it means for the Neo

The Neo's increase is notable because of where it leaves the laptop in the budget market. At $699, it loses the $100 advantage it had over the $699 Dell XPS 13 that launched last month specifically to compete with it, and it now costs more than some Chromebooks from Lenovo and Asus.

Apple left the door open to further increases. The company said it has "reached a point where we need to begin raising prices on a number of products," language that suggests today's changes may not be the last.

Analysts have suggested the iPhone could eventually be affected, though Apple has not raised iPhone prices and is not expected to revisit that lineup until the launch of the iPhone 18 in September.

"We know this is not welcome news, and we are working tirelessly to find solutions," Apple said.